WASHINGTON – The tea-party political movement started in earnest with a rant by Rick Santelli on CNBC.
Could the next big spiritual movement begin with a column in WND?
That's what Joseph Farah is asking himself this week – just four days after the publication of a commentary he published calling for Sept. 11, 2013, to be "A National Day of Prayer and Fasting" to beseech God’s help in, what he calls, "saving America from itself."
It all started last Friday with the publication of "A day of prayer and fasting." Farah says he was blown away at 8 a.m. that morning when his email inbox was filled with nearly 1,000 responses from Americans saying they were on board with his idea for designating 9/11/13 as just such a day.
"There's been a tremendous outpouring of support for this idea," said Farah. "I'm hearing not only from thousands of Americans from coast to coast, pledging participation, but also from members of Congress, from top Christian leaders, even from the media."
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Farah's original column pointed out that when "America's founders faced challenges, they often had the wisdom and insight to call for a national day of prayer and fasting. America is facing challenges today that, in many ways, rival anything we've seen since the start of World War II."
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"I am now convinced that something wonderful is going to happen on 9/11/13 – or at least as a result of the prayer and repentance by hundreds of thousands or even millions of Americans who take part in this very American tradition in times of crisis," he said.
Farah is not only impressed with the sheer numbers responding, but also their level of enthusiasm and urgency.
"We need to do this every week – starting right now," wrote one respondent.
Other responses also reflected the sense of urgency:
- "I am certainly on board," wrote Barry McClellan. "I just hope 9/11/13 is not too late. In addition, perhaps you could encourage family fasting and prayer now, and then everyone together on 9/11."
- "It is quite evident by your commentary titled, 'A Day of Prayer and Fasting' that you now see that there is little or no hope for recovery through political methods and perhaps not even by the powerful communications of the pen," wrote Otto Gershon. "For the most part, too many people are just not listening. They are under a spiritual slumber, anesthetized by years of lukewarm preaching and temporal living. I agree with you that fasting and prayer is our only recourse. Even so, I believe that the open window for this to be still effective is diminishing. If there is not a spiritual revival in this nation very soon, it will become critically necessary, based on what I know of the Bible, to get out of the country and perhaps off of the continent. Even so, to be sure, the world of nations would be a very dark place without the light that still shines from the United States of America."
- "September 11, 2013, will be scheduled for prayer and fasting," wrote Joseph McClelland. "That date is far off in the sense of the absolute shocking 'urgency of the hour' as I see it."
But things are happening right now, explains Farah.
"People are already beginning to pray for repentance and revival," he said. "They're recognizing the government is hopelessly broken. The culture is breaking down. Man's conventional answers are not going to work. We need a miracle. We need a move of the Holy Spirit in America."
Farah personally became convinced of this more than a year ago when he began producing what became the most successful faith movie of 2012 and 2013 – "The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment."
Based on Jonathan Cahn’s teachings as revealed in his record-breaking bestseller "The Harbinger," the movie had a profound impact on Farah.
As Farah puts it: "God's Word tells us in 2 Chronicles 7:14: 'If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.' We've got our instructions. God is waiting on us to act – His people. He's not waiting on the whole world to act. He's not waiting on a majority of Americans to act. He’s waiting on us – his children, his followers, his believers."
His action plan includes the following:
- Make a note on your calendar now to join in the commitment to participate;
- Help spread the word to the remnant of Americans who understand what we're up against on Facebook and Twitter and by word of mouth;
- Talk to pastors and Bible study leaders and get them on board;
- Sign up to register your expression of support and your intention to participate.
"This is a matter between God and His people," Farah says. "Will we follow His command and accept His promise to forgive our sin and heal our land? How can we choose otherwise?"